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Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125819
.... 1 .... '" ~ '" > :; .., E_y time Scott looked back, Aldana W8S right there. Ken Robert. set fast time, finished second in the National, Here he leads Hat.ley in the heet. With Scott'out of the race, Aldena W8S n_r challenged for the front slot. David had the Norton cookin' (it caught fire afterwards). Rice, Hateley and Odom on the wick. Little John mollld up to finish fifth. Gary Scott, hounded by Aldana, set the pace until his engine started losing oil. to put out the flame on the hottest Norton in competition (on and off the track). Kenny Roberts sized up the situation and started spinning doughnuts, throwing dirt on the fallen Norton. It was the only time during the nigh t he got close enough to do it, and the point leader was not going to pass up the opportunity. It worked and the fire went out. (nto the winner's circle went Dave Aldana and his Norton. A "first" in national racing on the dirt. Along with it went a $2,000 bonus from Norton and a pile of additional purse and contingency money that totaled over $5,000. The win also tied another Ascot record. Aldana became the second rider in Asoct History to win back to back on the Half Mile on Friday night and a IT on Saturday night. The only other rider to ever do it was the retired Ralph White back in 1965. Early action saw Roberts top the time trial list with Mert Lawwill in second spot and Mulder iIi third. Scott was fourth, Dorsch fifth and Aldana sixth. Roberts beat Hateley and Dorsch in the opener with Tom Horton and Eddie Wirth deciding fourth and last direc t transfer to the final at the finish line. In this race engine troubles struck down the new Castle Rock champ, Chuck Joyner, on the first lap, forcing him to the pits. It was Aldana the winner of the second heat over Lawwill and Rockwood with Keeter in fourth after Cal Rayborn and Randy Scott both dropped out. The number four spot was con tested most of the way with Keeter in and out, depending on when Rayborn and Scott were running. This heat was the fastest of the night. Eddie Mulder was running a close second place in the third heat until his engine went on one cylinder. Then the old pro still held fourth place and a direct transfer until the final lap before giving way to Brian LaPlante. Don Castro was the early leader in somewhat of a surprise, but Dick Mann took care of that by taking over on the ninth lap and going on for the win., Castro held onto second with Jimmy Odom third. The final heat added extra action as Ron Powell again crashed. The Rookie went into the hay on lap two, bringing a halt to the event. On the re·strat it was Jim Rice in front but losing the lead to Gary Scott on lap five. Then Romero came up on lap nine to shove Rice down to the number three finish spot. The last transfer went to Randy Skiver. The first semi saw Rayborn taking the lead away from AI Kenyon. Pat McCaul crashed on the sixth lap while running a close third and ~ for second and a transfer to the National final. Rex Beauchamp dropped out while running seven th on lap seven when his machine threw a rear chain. At the finish it was Rayborn in front and Rookie Jim Crenshaw edging Dusty Coppage' for the las t transfer on the final lap. Mulder and Randy Scott got put back on the penalty line for trying to jump the starter in the last semi. Chuck Palmgren dropped out on the first lap in one of his rare appearances at Ascot. Mulder, running on two this time, jumped in front before the fD'st lap was completed, passing Wirth and Frank Gillespie in one swoop. Chuck Joyner again had the bad luck set in and dropped out, running a closing sixth on the fourth lap. Randy Scott then again pulled his famous "sparkplug ac t", dropping from fourth to sixth on lap 7. Mulder wrapped it up but the crowd was on its feet for the second place finish between Brelsford and Eddie Wirth. It went to , the wire with the nod to Brelsford by no more than two inches. GiUespie finished up in the number four spot with rookie, Jim Einarsson going with Frank to the Trophy final: Scott go~ the last transfer to the Trophy with an eighth place. The new. Trophy Final keeps producing a differen t winner every tim.e and the Ascot event was no exception. Big Bob Bailey opened the action by falling off on the first lap. Wirth took the lead at the end of the first lap and from them on all eyes were on Randy Scott as he slid, wobbled, bobbled, tank slapped and full throttled his way from front to back and back to front to fmally take second place. It was a most interesting race with most of the action supplied by Oregon's version of Dave Aldana. The three National IT races have now produced three different winners. The fourth and final IT National comes up _at Peoria, Illinois, on the first Sunday in August. The defending champ is none other than Dick Mann. Ascot hosts its 14th Annual Half Mile National on Saturday night, Oct. 6th, the final National of the year. Of course, Dave Aldana will be trying to become the first rider to ever win both Ascot Nationals in the same season. Bu t we wonder what he is ~ooking up for an encore? RESULTS, 1. Dave Aldana (Nor): 2. Kenny Roberts (Vam)i 3. Terry Dorsch (Tri): 4. Scott Brelsford (H·D); 5. John Hateley {Tri}; 6. Dick Mann (Tri): 7. Gene Romero (Tri); 8. Mert Lawwlll (H-D); 9. Jim Rice (H-D}i 10. Tom Rockwood (Tri): 11. EddM: Mulder (Tri); 12. Jimmy Odom (Yam); 13. Rand y Skiver (Tri); 14. Don Castro (Vam): 15. Jim Crenshaw (Nor); 16. Tom Horton (Tri); 17. DeWayne Keeter (H-D); 18. Brian LaPlante (Tri); 19. Gary Scott {Tri}; 20. Cal RaYborn (H·D); Time: 19:20:93 (Not a record).